3 Pros & Cons of Job Specialisation

October 27, 2017

There is a moment in our lives when you ask yourself: do I need to specialise to handle particular tasks or do I need to acquire more skills to secure a future working position? If you want to develop more skills and become more flexible, you will look for more jobs to prove your abilities. On the contrary, if you are happy with the skills you have and the job you do, then there is no reason to go for more.

However, the dilemma of job specialisation does not have a correct answer as there are many factors that must be considered.

Pros

Increased trust

In specialised jobs, employers have a greater sense of trust. If you go for an interview and say that you specialise in X or Y instead of mentioning your basic skills in X or Y, the employer will be certain that you know your job. So, your efforts would be more focused.

Defined set of skills

The biggest advantage of specialisation is having a defined set of skills because you focus on valuable matters and do not waste time on miscellaneous tasks. The truth is, people prefer to pay more for the specialised service instead of having work done by a person with a general knowledge about everything. That person may not perform the task to the highest quality or precision even though he charges less. Therefore, well-defined specialised skills are a plus.

Job satisfaction

It is considered that specialisation brings more satisfaction because people do what they mostly love to do. Usually, professionals develop specific skills due to being good at it and enjoying the process. It makes them feel more valuable for employers and customers.

Cons

Self-destruction

It is proven by time that some skills become unuseful and irrelevant, but when you possess more skills, time isn’t as much of a factor. If you are specialised, there is a risk of losing your job. Moreover, when you realise your skills are not needed, it can destroy you psychologically.

Limited set of skills

Not every employer is looking for specialised workers as their goal is to minimise the costs by hiring people who can do the job of three but the salary of one. Therefore, what you see as a focused skillset, may appear as a limitation of your services.

Risk of boredom

According to polls, most of the Americans are not satisfied with their jobs and are not fully engaged in work because of the routine and feeling of boredom. One of the main causes is specialisation as people are too focused and deal with the same issues daily. It is a threat for those who like change.

What’s next?

Specialisation will always have a place in the market and knowing how to balance and promote it will lead to a bright and secure future.

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